Dodgers Finally Turning Things Around?

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This article was written by Becky Wilcox.

It has definitely been a whirlwind for the Dodgers last few years, and the past few months have been no exception. After a group lead by Magic Johnson put in a bid to buy the team from hated owner Frank McCourt, the fans were pretty excited about the possibilities. Then the team promptly went on a losing streak right before the All Star break.

While the Dodgers were not playing their best baseball at the time, they have since rebounded and gone on a five-game win streak. Does this mean that the tide has turned, or should Dodger fans expect more woes throughout the rest of the season?

One of the most interesting story lines about the Dodgers season revolves around Magic Johnson, the ownership change, and Frank McCourt. McCourt is considered to be one of the most hated man in all of Los Angeles after he essentially ran the team into the ground and filed for bankruptcy. Magic Johnson is one of the most load figures in all of sports, and came riding up on his white horse to save the day. His trademark smile promised to right all the wrongs and get things back on the right track.

Then Magic Johnson deliberately lied to Dodgers fans about the role of Frank McCourt with the team. He stood up at a press conference and told fans that Frank McCourt had nothing to do with the Dodgers anymore and would not make any money on parking. Unfortunately, this simply is not true because the team is paying $14 million a year to lease land that Frank McCourt partially owns to use as parking. This means that he’s probably getting somewhere around $7 million per year for parking, even though Johnson claimed otherwise.

Will the fans forgive Johnson and let bygones be bygones or has their trust been broken? With the average credit card debt of card users at all-time highs, it’s not that easy to afford season tickets to Major League Baseball games, so the Dodgers have to hope that things will work out.

At the same time, the team can’t use traditional means to generate all the money they need. It’s not as easy as shopping around for the best card offer to improve cash flow. Eventually, Dodger fans will probably forgive Magic Johnson for his misstep on the parking issue. He is very likable and as long as he puts a winning team on the field, the other issues probably won’t matter.